Butchlalis de Panochtitlan Dissect Gender Identity in 1980s East L.A. Barber

What was it like for you when you first saw two women kissing? Do you stay in the place where you grew up even if being out is dangerous there? Can you move past discrimination, or will memories of it haunt you? And how much of your butchness is in your haircut?

The Butchlalis de Panochtitlan—Raquel Gutierrez, Mari Garcia, and Claudia Rodriguez--explore these questions and many more in their stage show The Barber of East L.A. I saw a staged reading of the show directed by the legendary Luis Alfaro last night at Cal-State L.A. as part of the larger Joto Caucus supported by the National Association for Chicana and Chicano Studies.

This witty trio produces consistently capitvating work, their most recent feat no exception. The performers use humor, personal homages, historical anchors, and their monumental moral compasses to challenge and skewer traditional notions of gender conformity. The Butchlalis are uniquely clever in their treatments of somber and complex subjects, rendering deeply thoughtful statements into a provokingly sensuous and unfailingly entertaining medium.

The show’s story revolves around Chonch (played by Gutierrez), a butch lesbian in 1980s East L.A. returning home from barbers’ school to the hostile climate she left behind. Chonch reconnects with the ghosts of her past, some expected and others a surprise, all the while processing loss, harassment, and her own stubborn perseverance. Another protagonist of the show, young Betty (played by Rodriguez), must confront her own identity as bicurious latina punk from a broken home in an area increasingly inhabited by skinheads and cock-rock. The two characters mediate between the extremes of return and escape, love and anger, past and future.

Other notable characters include Martinez the shithead male cop (played by the inimitable Garcia), Betty’s best friend young gay boy Julian (Gutierrez), recurring Butchlali superstar Juana Chingas (Rodriguez), and the ethereal Isabel (Garcia). The three Butchlalis are assisted by a plethora of wigs that also serve as scenery when not in use.

I learned of the Butchlalis at their last show, Dickwhipped!, for which I got tickets on a whim last April at the Highways Performance Space in Santa Monica and could not believe my good fortune. That show was composed of a series of vignettes, most notable in my mind a video about anal submission play and a sketch about the oldest living butch lesbian in East L.A. about to die. I had a friend with me, and we both were starstruck--and super-turned on. In full disclosure I admit I have major problems deciding which Butchlali is the hottest, even though my companion and I debated it for the rest of that evening, and even though I have given it much thought since then.

The Butchlalis will hold their next performance of The Barber of East L.A. November 22, 2008 at MacGowan Hall (MacGowan 1330) at UCLA as part of the Actions of Transfer: Women's Performance in the Americas event presented by The UCLA Center for Performance Studies. The video I am including below shows a staged reading--much like what I saw last night--but I understand the show next month at UCLA will be off-book. I urge you to join me in supporting these radically awesome butch artists; I can guarantee you will enjoy them.

Also, Butchlalis member Raquel Gutierrez performs tonight in her first solo performance piece at Highways Performance Space in Santa Monica. Click here for further information.

Lesbian Fashion: Then and Now

Let's face it - lesbians haven't always been the best dressers.

I think we're all painfully aware of the flannel-and-hairy-legs image that persists in our culture even to this day. Well, luckily we've since learned how to dress ourselves without looking like we just went on a drunken shopping spree at Salvation Army.

This new generation of well-dressed dykes has created their own fashion styles, sometimes even leading the rest of the world in trends.

I've chosen some of the good old lesbian stereotypes and the new ones that they're being replaced with.

As you can see, we've learned our lesson. But take this away from this article, too. Some things are good only in moderation. I love a girl in a tight white tank top, but it's a little sad when the entire room is filled with girls in wifebeaters with huge belt buckles and shaved heads. Variety, as they say, is the spice of life.

Sandals

Birkenstocks

Maybe Birks are a general feminist thing, or even just a hippie thing, but I think they're pretty well associated with lesbians, especially the kind of lesbian that goes to womyns' festivals and choses not to shave her legs. Or at least they were 10 and 20 years ago. I haven't actually seen a pair of your stereotypical two-strap Birk sandals for ages, except on people over the age of 50. I hear they're terribly comfortable, but I'm personally saying good riddance to Birkenstocks.

Sport Sandals

Nowadays, sporty trendy lesbians tend towards the sport sandals.

First there were Tevas. These are still popular, but the trend is headed towards Keens. I personally own a pair of Chacos, which are amazingly awesome. What is it about sporty sandals? Well, I figure that it's an extension of of the function over form trend in lesbian fashion – luckily for us, the sandals just happen to be stylish, at least in some cases.

In other cases, these functional, comfortable sandals are hideously ugly.

Hair

Mullets

The mullet is the bottom of the barrel of the lesbian stereotype. Why did we do it? I don't know, and I really can't bring myself to find out, because that would mean thinking about mullets. I know everything that was popular at one point in the past is making the rounds again, but I pray that this unfortunate mistake will never again be repeated.




Fauxhawks

The fauxhawk seems to be the stylish younger sibling of the mullet. The motto of the mullet, of course, is "business in the front, party in the back." The fauxhawk is a different sort of party. More of a punk-styled party. But it aims to be workplace appropriate too. There are plenty more hairstyles on the verge of becoming cliché in the lesbian community, but that's a story for another article.


Pickup Trucks

Don't get me wrong. I'm not saying that lesbians don't drive pickups. They certainly do, and well they should.

Pickups are both hot and functional. I think, though, that the dyke-truck stereotype is going out with the lesbo lumberjack image.


Subarus

Subarus are the new black, at least when it comes to lesbians and cars.

They're sporty and durable and have room for two dykes, some kids, and a dog, and everyone has them. They've even been rated as the #1 (Outback) and #2 (Forester) lesbian cars by a certain NPR show about automobiles. In recent years, gays and lesbians have become more focused on families. We've been working toward adoption and marriage rights, and we've finally been having some luck! As our image shifts towards family, so do our cars.

Trucker Hats

A few years ago, trucker hats were the big thing in lesbian headware. In fact, one could even make the argument that we started the larger trucker hat trend. These are especially popular for those lesbians who enjoy dressing like 13 year old boys and in turn make me check every 13 year old boy I see just to make sure he's not a cute girl.

Brimmed Hats

Be it bowler, fedora, or cowboy, the classic hats of yesteryear are making a comeback on the streets and in the clubs. It takes a serious woman to pull off a serious hat, and that's where we come in. I think this is another extension of our fashion-based gender play. Just as lumberjack shirts and trucker hats were originally associated with male-dominated professions, the cowboy hat and the fedora are traditionally very male. At least until we get our hands on 'em.

Shoes

Doc Martins

Other than hippie sandals, Docs and similar combat boots are our traditional footwear. They're excellent for stomping around and kicking people and other fun activities. Turns out, that the punks did it first, and these days they're mainly confined to the teenage rebellious sort.




Skate Shoes

It's been a while since I've met a dyke who didn't own a pair of skate shoes. I've certainly owned a few pairs in my time. I also see them a lot – although sometimes it's hard to tell the 14 year old boys from the skaterdykes. And they do come in all sorts of lovely, fun colors.

Shirts

Flannel

Finally, the paradigm of lesbian fashion stereotypes.

Thank god this specific trend has mostly died out.

Unfortunately, it still persists in the mind of many a straight man and woman, and even inside our own community. Flannel has its place. Mostly in sheets for the winter, but it's also a perfectly acceptable fashion statement while fixing fences, cutting down trees with whip saws, or playing in a grunge band. I know it's back, or it was back, or something.

But please, let's not go there again.

White A-Shirt

They've been big for a decade, and they still are. Weather worn alone or with a button-down or blazer, these are a staple of any lesbian's wardrobe. When I was in high school, I could show up to a lesbian club night and almost literally every girl in the entire room would be wearing a white tank – usually with a rainbow belt. Nowadays, this number has maybe been cut in half, but the trend is alive and kicking, and on its way to being a stereotype on par with the red and black checked flannel shirt.

DYKEY-DOs!: Butch Hairstyles....

There's nothing quite as bad as a bad haircut and sure you can wear a hat, but every once in a while you have to take that off, if only to just let the top of your head air out.

But many of you out there of the lesbian sub-species called butcheslebianius are still sporting mullets, which in case you had not heard have become so clique they are now a standard for lesbian hair jokes.

Now do you really do you really want to be a walking punchline to a lesbian hair joke?

So come on ladies, its time to get rid of that Ape Drape and today Lesbiatopia's Mr Leigh takes a look at some hot current trends in DYKEY-DOs... from a Butch perspective and she shows you don't have to look like Billy Ray Cyrus anymore.

The Shane

Yeah, I said it. And I know Shane hair is almost as clique as a Mullet; I went to my local lesbian hangout last weekend, I looked around and I swear every lesbian there had the same Shaggy-Shane hair do. But his is definitely the hottest hair style right now for butch ladies.

Its a razor cut, with long pieces that are very uneven and messy and a very good look for the hipster-dyke oozing with "standoffish" sex appeal who doesn't want to chop it all off.

The Corporate Lesbian

The work place is getting more out and equal everyday and its business as usual for many ladies so long as they look the part. So this look would go great with that power-red-pantsuit or some slacks and a button up shirt with a big collar and transition well at night over to your jeans and boots.

With this style, many Power Dykes will typically keep some longer locks, but this can also be taken to the shorter side if you like.

The Pompadour

Wanna look like a hunk-a hunk-a Burnin' Love? Try a Pompadour.

The pompadour was a fashion trend in the 1950s among male rockabilly artists and actors like Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash, Little Richard, Marlon Brando (The Wild One) and James Dean.

But in recent years the pompadour hair style has also been embraced by Butch Culture as well, with KD Lang along with many other famous butches such as, yours truly, often sporting a pompadour.






A pompadour is often created by combing the sides of the hair back, while fanning the top of the hair forward and curling over itself giving it something of a "spiked" quality. But in order to properly wear the "Pomp" you must also work on your Elvis upper lip quiver and sneer. This is mandatory.

Spikey

Personally, I think some butch ladies who go for this style look like they have a ducks ass on the back of their head.

However, sometimes it does works.

This look is often found on the professional butch, who also often drives a Toyota sedan.

Butch Chic

Don't be afraid ladies, trust me, the grass is greener on our side of the fence!

I completely understand that not all lesbians have short hair, and not all short haired woman are lesbians, but this is what happens when hot straight ladies (?) chop their hair off, and end up looking like they might possibly play for our team.

I think it is a really good look too.

The Buzz

Bald Butches are hot Butches, so liberate yourself from those locks and shave it all off.

This is a gender bender to the max!

The Butchy Buzz is definitely one of the most radical dyke-dos and certainly the least upkeep of any of the hairstyles you could have.

But don't do this Do if you have a weird mis-shaped head!







Do have other Dyke-Do's that haven't been listed?

Let us know.